The millstone quarry gives Harrylock a clear historical focus: surviving traces bear witness to a once-thriving industry, while stonecutters’ initials carved into the stone link the rock to skilled craftsmanship. This offers a concrete point of reference for your travel plans if you are interested in the history of work, materials and transport.

Old Red Sandstone and Stonecutting

At the Harrylock quarry, the Old Red Sandstone found there was used to make millstones. Stonecutters’ initials carved into the sandstone can be found at the millstone quarry. The markings and surviving traces tell different parts of the same local story: they point, on the one hand, to the material and, on the other, to the working of the stone. The passing on of the craft is also part of this story. Farmers and fishermen acquired stoneworking skills, which were handed down through generations and then applied to the making of millstones. In the Harrylock area, stoneworking was an important source of employment from the mid-17th to the mid-19th century.

Records and Maps from Two Centuries

The first known mention of the Harrylock quarry is in the Loftus Papers of 1736. At the time, the quarry was part of a marriage agreement between Nicholas Loftus and Mary Hume of Fermanagh. The date refers to the mention, not to the founding of the quarry. The Loftus estate maps of 1771 offer a different perspective: they show a farm in Harrylock with a millstone quarry. The records from 1736 and 1771 therefore refer to different historical contexts—an agreement and a map. Together with the stoneworking skills passed down through generations, they help place the history of the millstone quarry in context without treating the two records as equivalent.

The “ould key” and the Transport of Millstones

Transport is also part of the story of the work. In Harrylock, a natural landing place was used, locally known as the “ould key”. It allowed boats to get as close to shore as possible to load their cargo. At low tide, the millstones were moved to the side of the landing place. As the tide came in, they were secured to the underside of a small boat. This sequence illustrates how stoneworking was connected to the transport of goods at the time.

County Wexford: More Historical and Landscape Highlights

The wider travel area of County Wexford offers other points of interest to consider when planning a trip. The Irish National Heritage Park is a 35-acre open-air museum with 16 reconstructed sites. Activities, workshops and courses are aimed at visitors of all ages. Hook Lighthouse, at the tip of the Hook Peninsula, offers a different way to explore history: guided tours tell the story of 800 years of lighthouse history. Tour arrangements and booking conditions may change; check the current terms before planning your visit.

The landscape and walking routes offer other kinds of experiences. Tintern Cistercian Abbey was founded around 1200 by William, Earl Marshal; it is in a nature reserve and surrounded by woodland with walking trails. At Curracloe Beach, a nature trail winds through the dunes and introduces visitors to the local flora and fauna. Across the county, Wexford Walking Trails includes more than 80 marked trails at 39 locations; the selection of trails may change. Those interested in agriculture and food culture can see machinery, vehicles and artefacts at the Irish Agricultural Museum at Johnstown Castle, some of them up to 100 years old. The private Fruit, Feathers and Flour food-and-farm tour includes strawberry picking and a visit to an old watermill, with a focus on stone-ground flour; the itinerary and availability may change.

Discover more destinations: Dungarvan, Rathgormack, Ringville, Bunmahon, Lismore, Cappoquin, Dunmore East, Waterford.

Go to the wider travel overview: Waterford.